1 Thessalonians 2:14-20 (Part B)

Daniel chapter 8 verse 23. The latter time of their kingdom. When the transgressors have reached their fullness. King shall arise every few speeches who understands sinister ski that's antichrist talking so Daniel sang at that moment when the time is full, comes antichrist, we know Revelation tells us is is little foray only last for about six years. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Thessalonians. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with today's edition of cross reference radio in first Thessalonians chapter 2, and so those who persecute the righteous are secure in their fantasy that they are the chosen ones there safe that their religion is going to back them up.

Even though they never dug into their own religion with any degree of honesty. That's how life is in need.

These Thessalonians were learning this where supposed to be learning it. That's why we come and assemble and consider the word of God, it became Scripture.

All Scripture is God breathed all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work man. It says while much amendment of the Bible they did. They pretended they scribed it. They did not man can't write like this. What matches the Scripture.

Nothing. And when these men wrote in God did not want to preserve it. He discarded we don't have put some of Paul's other letters. They weren't God brief. They may have been good, decent, kind, right were not inspired. So God did not preserve them. When Paul was persecuting Christians in his testimony he told others about acts 26 verse nine is as indeed I myself but I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

I was there with you but you know that kind of preaching really doesn't make converts. Not too many. He didn't make any gave his testimony in the book of acts it made more converts getting stoned than anyone else. Now that's a double entendre. He made more converts getting stoned than anyone else than any other way. He wasn't getting stoned with spirits with alcohol wine getting stoned by stones, liquid, God did change the world because of so the persecutors live with all their attention centered on themselves in all their hatred centered on others. The Christian is to live with his attention centered on Christ and criticisms upon Santa and the flash not not an unending guilt you know if you are driven by guilt, the joy of the spirit is evading you.

This is not the Christian way if you just rob the bank then guilt is for you, but if you living that way. You just feel guilty when you hear a challenging sermon and you feel guilty. It's not so that you could leave you feeling guilty dragging your knuckles and always may I am undone. I'm a man of unclear. That's right, but then God says who sell I said and Isaiah says in the same passageways as woe is me. Here I am, send me.

But wait a minute, your award up.

I don't know if we can use you.

Isaiah, of course, that's just what we need for this we need one more chap to go. Will other woe chaps all so anyway, Paul's allegiance was not to his ethnicity. It was not you know, centered on his ethnicity. I'm at you I'm I'm a Greek or this or whatever, he sided with God and is the fatal mistake that many people may they side with their nationality, the side with their ethnic or family heritage listings have their place, and I'll tell you where their places beneath God far beneath God.

We talked about this a little Wednesday night is nothing wrong with admiring and working to uphold the Constitution. Unless you have no seal to uphold the word of God first got worse. First, is not the Constitution, then God's word. God's word because this is the voice of God. This is how God is chosen to speak to his people.

Why will God speak to because you will read the book when he's already spoken is told in Hebrews.

He has spoken to us. God would various times in different ways spoke to the prophet in times past has in these last days spoken to us through the prophets. Here it is.

Hebrews chapter 1 first reverses lay it right out. So verse 16 continued successful bid, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles the Jews that were persecuting Paul forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved so as always to fill up the measure of their sins, but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost and and it wasn't finished because the temple the Jewish temple is still around. Yet within 20 years or so.

It will be completely destroyed and then rabbinical Judaism will really take off and the word of God. The word of the prophets the Old Testament to them will be reduced to this day when they have according Scripture moment they can understand what they're saying without quoting a rabbi to the rabbis say the Rabbi say Jesus said, I say to you is that you have heard that it is been said but I say to you is not safe. The prophet Cesar I'm telling you because I am God, and so he says they forbade us to speak. The Jews did not want the gospel right then you want the Gentiles to have it either. This is hatred. The Jews obstructed Paul on his first missionary trip in Antioch basidia Antioch and I Connie him and Lister and Berea in Thessalonica and Corinth I act. I don't understand this man, I would say that didn't work, don't do it again. Paul does it again I'm you cannot, you know, the wisdom of the lack of wisdom in Wiley Coyote. I'm not talking like he's a real figure, but illustrates a point. He comes up with some pretty clever plans to get that roadrunner that I can state mimic testing and he has his good plans additional work instead of going back to that one more time he comes up with something else. Sometimes the same thing is what you need to be working on developing.

Paul said yeah I got stoned in those cities look at the converts I would've said okay this is the part when needed. In the sermon because he is if I say anymore they going to be upset with me the wisdom of God. It takes so much time to meditate on these things that when the Scripture says meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. Paul wrote that the Timothy meditate. Give yourself that's what is going to take Timothy if you going to come up to the level of servant that you can be and this is what you're going to have to do going to have to meditate, not just you know the the victory in memorizing Scripture is that if forces you to get through begin to actually meditate.

Once you've gotten the verse in your liberated from thinking about trying to memorize it or what could it mean until now it is yours.

And so when I love the verse in the sermon on the mount when he got in the Lord has blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. That tells me, having been told.

My heart is not pure as as it tells us in Jeremiah, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, no man can know I the Lord tests the heart. I know the mind will of God is telling me. Blessed are the pure in heart. These saying he can make my heart pure even though it's impure mercy of God, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me, so this filling up of the measure, the implication that God will allow a nation, a group and individual to run their course and then pay up. This is how it's been taught since the book of Genesis Genesis 1516 God speaking to his servant Abraham telling him about the Amorites were an irritant from the beginning in the fourth generation they shall return here. Speaking of the Jews, then back to the Amorites for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. God is saying I'm not going to deal with these people, yet they got a run their course, but I've drawn a line in the sand and that that line it's over for them. Matthew 23 verses 31 and 32, 33, therefore Jesus speaking therefore your witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Philip then the measure of your father's guilt surface brood of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell. Fill up the measure you been judged as a people for your idolatry by Nebuchadnezzar you been judged as a people. You will be judged as a people again for your blasphemy of killing your Messiah because you abandon your Scriptures and couldn't recognize them. If you nailed to a cross which you did the judge for that they are, then you will be judged by the antichrist because God is populated, the planted with the creek planet with the Christian message and you have rejected it. Calling them all sorts of maintaining on them. Granted, many Christians in history are not helpless because this is not anti-somatic. This is history the way it is.

God is so far beyond the ethnic thing is into the righteous that he always has been. He just chose a particular had to be somebody chose the descendents of Abraham. Knowing what we know of Abraham.

He made the right choice.that we need to sign off on Daniel chapter 8 Daniel. He was what Amanda God even he when he had an encounter with God. He just fell apart my beauty. My strength is gone. That is the account we should all have at some point in our lives as Christians. There should be times where we just will always me. John said light fellas dead in his presence. He put his hand on me, Daniel chapter 8 verse 23.

In the latter time of their kingdom.

When the transgressors have reached their fullness. The king shall arise. Having fierce beaches who understands sinister schemes. That's antichrist he's talking about and so Daniel sank at that moment when the time is full, comes antichrist we know. Revelation tells us is is little foray only last for about six years so evil allowed to run its cost God's response. Righteousness is allowed to intercepted through his people and the preaching of the word of God, so God has a goal to fill eternity with those who are not who, having not seen him physically, but have seen him spiritually.

Those who bring others in and make it in themselves. We worship God in spirit worship God in truth, God knows what he's doing well. He also says here in verse 16, but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost knob already commented on their rejection of the Scriptures and so are not going to take the time to tube to go back on it, but here's what God had in mind for them. He called them to be apart from all the peoples of the earth as descendents of Abraham and eventually of Isaac, and Jacob. Numbers 23 verse 94 from the top of the rocks I see him and from the hills be. I behold him there a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nation and not like everybody you could say that about the church is why we dislike what you are going to go to the bar with us what you're not going to go to do this with us not to do that and then if you do you call yourself a Christian double standard. They like to use against us. Not understanding that we have a flash of sinful nature is very fragile once it is cornered with temptation usually collapses.

And thus we pray lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Yours is the kingdom yours is the power yours is the glory and the whole Bible talks about just that the kingdom the power and the glory of God and so the Israel of course failed not not only was she called to be separate but God planted the nation Israel on a natural land bridge between three continents Europe, Africa and Asia, and they were supposed to be what they never really became. You can say that about the church.

Not all churches which say that about the church. Overall, there are churches that are land bridge.

They preach the word, they are separate they are loving, they are intolerant of applauding sin we get accused for that call legalist someone was telling me something that someone wrote into a letter. Why don't you accept my immorality, because by definition immorality is harmful how dense can you possibly be. I know how dense as much as Satan will make you that's how dense we can be were supposed to stand in the gap in protest and say do you even know what you're saying even know where it comes from that you say verse 17 he says, but we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart endeavor more eagerly to see your face with great desire.

It would be another five years before he gets to see their face, but this is love, God wanted to get Paul to the seaport in Corinth with their work.

Tons of people passing through dislike and in Thessalonica and he got him there. I mentioned that Satan made a tactical mistake by Paul go on the same annex versus Satan hindered us from getting to you and God said hinder me.

I'll get to. I will get to.

I know what I'm doing. We have to believe that by faith. Paul did.

He accepted that in the many things he did not like none of them seem to have stopped him to Satan.

Paul was the nightmare is the guy that you shoot with everything you just keep coming yet. I used to have a lot of those nightmares. Too many war movies as a kid. The bazookas not working the tanks on work all right. Well this is what Paul was is over is a teaser. Therefore, we wanted to come to you. Even I Paul Timon again Satan hindered us to the Corinthians of some of the current is what drove us in his review doesn't really care is not coming is as though I do things lightly dry to say yes on oriole or no without taking it to the Lord first and led by the spirit of God and so the church is still hindered by Satan, but not stop same with you and we how many times you've been coming a long time if you heard me say we battle we build at the same time we do not battle get the victory then start building we stumble. That's part of the battle, but we kill we still serve.

Now there are lines there may be could commit an egregious send and God will have to deal with that in the separate environment, but these stumbles, that you may lose your temper on getting out of the others measure LOI. Deborah, my wife, I know your wife maybe once a guilty future professional done of the other way made the man guilty because in the women you know they don't respond like you guys do the guys laugh in the women we only get you messing with sisters like that. Anyway, with some read the church in Jerusalem. Satan was there. Peter said Ananias is the fire.

Satan is filled your heart church in Smyrna. His throne was there. According to Jesus writing the letter. I know were Satan's throne is the church of predominant Pergamum that is fire Tyra. He was there to Jesus tells us that night and revelations Revelation 2 church in Philadelphia is that Satan was exalted there also. That was the perfect church is churches go, and Satan was there in Ephesus in first Timothy, Paul tells them.

Satan is there Hymenaeus for the five elitists Alexander, God said also I turn those guys over to Satan-based tray they were in the faith they went off. They've done me much harm then Corinth. Satan was there to in the Mechanicsville in this church. Satan comes here to now that should not cause us to shake in our boots but ascends off the wall along.

We put a perimeter around put our defenses up as Nehemiah said, and so we built with the trial in one hand and a sword in the other. That's how the West was one that's how we do it. That's how we roll. And it's not going to change, and it should not change when we get to heaven you know I think about when the Saints go homes are always envious it's the go and of course selfish statement very selfish.

You have loved ones, and if you're feeling left behind in the grief that belongs to that. What would others feel the you know, believe it or not. There a lot of people that love you and and don't mess it up after service in the fellowship. But anyway there are people that love you and and and we should. We have really we should not think that way though we can't help think that way to some degree because we recognize that where they are. The glory is so splendid that it could not be written down.

God doesn't really make an effort to tell us about heaven. Yes, good normal grind there no more death. I can't tell anyone that can handle it if you love me even if you fail my mercy will be upon you.

Satan can have you.

Your mind know is going to take it away. Then the whole speech you hear coming Satan you don't really believe that many billions of people don't believe in Jesus. What you say they're all going to hell. I didn't say anything, unaware ongoing and we got said right here older and so we see spiritual resistance in human places. Daniel chapter 10, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days. Behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me or I had been left alone with the kings of Persia. This is an angel speaking to Daniel saying had us try to get to you with their spiritual warfare have been all over the place bowl he's everywhere I couldn't get out of the spiritual battle God sent Michael you know the tough guy angel and he delivered me through Michael, you say well why did God wait. He knows why what he tells you a meal doesn't matter. He knows why knows what he's doing.

God is so perfect that week we can you know sin has has been as recently and although the eye of sinful man thy glory cannot see we would sing the hymn, holy, holy, holy God is so perfect he is.

So on this. Not does not miss that Sheila is its hole on top of it. When the Christian moves into that place with a finally recognize that there is joy and peace. Unspeakable but to get there. That is an achievement to stay there as really put a metal on yourself. It's doable.

That's what the prophets are saying. That's why Peter knew this could Jesus told him, look them in the eyes and said you gonna die by the hands of somebody else.

When that day comes, you will die and Peter did it.

It went out like a man in Christ, and so they those apostles. They did not again.

Back to Stephen. I like to say he never saw the rocks. He was so busy looking at Christ. He never saw the stones that all you got doable when Paul finally it's time for him to die. He says I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, here comes. I have Faith. Why is that preserve description widen that they know what I'm going to preserve that because as not inspired well because it was inspired and we need to hear it. We need to have that as our word.

Also, I have fought the good fight, I finished the race, I've kept the faith.

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness with the Lord, the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only, but to all those who have loved his appearing that life he lived and not just Paul others did to and so he says here that Satan hindered him. The Greek word for hinders to break up the road its use. If you going to say to meal break up the road. Satan sought to break up the road, but God's got so many shortcuts ways around that doesn't stop the Lord from doing what he wants and thus again we have the Thessalonian letters which we would not have according to what we know. Had Paul been able to go to Thessalonica and aren't we glad we have the first 19 for what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. The word coming here is par Lucy in the Greek it literally means his presence at it says in the presence of our Lord at his presence at his being there at his person at his reality at his personality, and then he says in verse 24.

You are our glory and joy. You are that splendid thing about life. This is why we take the abuse because of these results in you. This was a sound and proper outburst of his personal feelings at the fruit that God allowed him and Thessalonica and a close with this verse from Isaiah 43 God Jesus Christ speaking.

Isaiah 43 I even I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sin and I will not remember this is what the rates those blots out all your sin, your guilt, your punishment takes it upon himself. This is why we say you are worthy old Lord you are worthy, thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of first Thessalonians cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app as well. That's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of first Thessalonians, right here on cross reference rate